Machine for treating fur skins



July 25, 1950 L. s. EISEN MACHINE FOR TREATING FUR SKINS 4 Sheets-Sheet1 Filed Dec. 29, 1945 INVENTOR. L.. S. E ISEN ATTORNEY 4 ShQefs-Sheet L.S. EISEN MACHINE FOR TREATING FUR SKINS July 25, 1950 Filed Dec. 29,1945 INVENTOR. L.S. E ISEN ATTORNEY 1950 L. s. EISEN I 2,516,374

momma: FOR TREATING FUR sxms Filed Dec. 29, 1945 4 Sheets-She et- 3 I INVEN TOR.

' L. S. EISE N M T'TORNEY July 25, 1950 s. EISEN MACHINE FOR TREATINGFUR sxms Y 4 .snee s-sheeflq Filed Dec. 29, 1945 INVENTOR.

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L.S.EISEH 3 Arm ATTORNEY Patented July 25, 1950 UNITED. STATES ra'rsmOFFICE MACHINE-EOE TREATING FUR SKINS Louis S. Eisen, Newark, N; J.

Application: December 29, 1945, Serial No; 637,947

14 Claims. 1

The present invention is directed to. a device or machine for treatingfur skins for the purpose of removingtherefromthe wild. hairs, which maybe termed a pluckingmachine.

Fur skins have two-types of hair or fur thereon. The principal pontionof. the. fur consists of relatively thin fine. and. soft hairs,.usuallycalled the fine fur. Interspersedamong. them. are relatively' few coarseand long: hairs which. extend beyond the fur itself and which arenormally termed wild hairs The latter do not add anything to the beauty.of the fur and. it has been customary in the art to. remove the same.prior to fabricating the skins into garments.

The methods heretofore used forthis purpose have been rather cnude andunsatisfactory. It was customary to. provide a beam which ordinarily wassemi-cylindrical in shape. The skin was placed over the. beam and anoperator worked over the same with a. double handled knife. This knifewas pressed upon andpassed over the skin for the purpose of removing thewild hairs. There were numerous disadvantages: in a procedure of thiskind. The work was difficult and'slow'so that the operator had to restat frequent intervals, It was impossible for him to provide an evenpressure on the fur at alltim'es, whereby the-removal of the wild hairswas not uniform or complete. Also because of uneven pressures, injury tothe fur took placein that a considerable amount of the fine hair or furwas often removed.

The present invention is intended and adapted to overcome thedifficulties and disadvantages of prior methods, it being among theobjects of the present invention to provide a mechanical device whichwill be adapted to remove wild hairs uniformly and completely from furskins.

It is also among the objects of the present invention to provide asimple construction which is sturdy and strong and which may be readilyoperated by even unskilled workers to give the effect of removal of wildhairs;

It is still further among the objects of the present invention toprovide a device which is capable of completely removing the wild hairswithout damage to the fur.

In practicing the present invention, there is provided a frame which hasmounted in the lower part thereof a gripping roller adapted to guide andlead the hair into the device. Also mounted in the frame on an axisparallel to that of the gripping roller is a resilient r011 which makescontact with the roller. Means are provided whereby the pressure betweenthe roll and roller may be adjusted depending upon the typeor characterof fur being treated, the purpose being to have sufficientv pressurebetween said elements to firmly graspthe wild hairs.

There is also provided a fur guide on the lower face of the frameinproximity to said cooperating elements. The guide has a comb whichextends over the opening in the lower end of the frame and. is adaptedto allow the wild hairs to be drawn between theroll and roller butretains the skin on the guide and thereby prevents the fine fur from.being caught in the gripping roller. Rotation of the roll and roller arein such. a direction as. to draw the wild hairs into the space betweenthem and the contact pressure thereof grips the hairs and by continuedrotation thereof pulls said hairs from the skin. Means are providedv foradjusting the position of the guide depending upon the type of fur beingtreated so that none of the fine fur can be gripped by the contactingroll and roller. Thus all of the wild hairs may be removed'without thedanger of removal of the fine fur.

In the accompanying drawings constituting a part hereof and in whichlike reference characters indicate like parts:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a device made in accordance with thepresent invention, some parts being shown in horizontal section and.other parts being removed for clearness;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional View looking at the device from oneof its sides, some parts being shown in elevation and other parts beingshown somewhat diagrammatically;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the guide member and shows it detachedfrom the remainder of the device;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the gripping roller shown detached fromthe device; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a modified form of guide shown detachedfrom the device.

The device consists essentially of a frame made up of longitudinalmembers I and 2 at right angles to end members 3 secured thereto orformed integrally therewith. A shaft 4 is journaled between side membersI- and 2 being mounted in bearings 5 in the lower part of the interiorof the frame, and a gripping roller 6 is mounted there-' on. Qn anextension: of shaft 4 is gear 1 contained in gear box 8. It meshes witha worm 9 on shaft lil'mounted in bearings H in gear box 8.. A clamp l2secured to the frame has a sheath l3 entering the same, said sheathhaving a dual function of acting as a handle for the operator and as aguard for a flexible shaft introduced into opening l4 thereof" andsecured to shaft [0.

Sheath i3 is held in position by a bolt passing through an openingthrough the split holder l2. Diagonally opposite to the same on sidemember 2 is a handle [5 suitably secured in place. The device may behandled by the operator grasping sheath is and handle l5.

A yoke is also mounted in the frame, said yoke consisting of an upperhorizontal member l6 and a pair of depending side members ll integraltherewith, said yoke being an inverted U. A pair of pins l8 passingthrough sides I and 2 enter legs I! and provide means whereby the yokemay be pivotally moved about said pins. A shaft l9 has mounted thereon aresilient roll 20 of suitable material such as soft vulcanized rubber isheld in the yoke by end bearings 2 I.

In the upper part of the yoke is bolted a threaded rod 22 having a coilspring 23 mounted thereon. Said rod passes through an Opening 24 in end3 and a wing nut 25 is threaded on the extreme end thereof. By such anarrangement the roll 20 may be caused to press against roller 6 with anydesired suitable pressure. This is of importance in providing thecorrect amount of friction to pull out the wild hairs of the particularfur being treated.

On the upper surface of the frame there is secured a cover plate 26having a central opening therein. A tube 21 is mounted over said openingand constitutes a means whereby a flexible hose or other member may beattached thereto and thereby to a, source of vacuum. Said opening ispreferably directly above the meeting faces of roller 6 and roll 20.This serves as a means for removing any hair which has been pulled fromthe skin, the current of air entering through the bottom of the box andbeing drawn past the roll and roller, carrying the loosened hair with itthrough cylindrical member 21. The gripping roller as shown in Fig. 4 isprovided with a plurality of longitudinal teeth here shown as three innumber. The upper surface of each of the teeth is relatively wide and isangularly placed with respect to the axis of shaft 4. The upper surfaceof each of the teeth is a portion of the surface of a cylinder so thatsuch teeth surfaces will contact with the adjacent surfaces of roll 2%).A series of corrugations 29 are formed on the surfaces of each of theteeth whereby the wild hairs may be gripped against the resilient roll.The corrugations are relatively dull so as to avoid danger of cutting ofthe hair.

A brush 30 is held in block 3| on end 3. Said brush contacts resilientroll 20 over a relatively wide area 32 and along its entire length. Thisserves as a means for removing from said roll any hair which may haveadhered to the resilient material. By loosening the same, it leaves thehairs free to float in the stream of air passing through the container.

Roller 6 and roll 20 contact along a relatively narrow area 33 with aspace 34 below the same whereby the hair and fine fur may be allowed toenter the device. Line 33 is sufficiently above the bottom of the deviceso as to allow the hairs to be cut therein but not sufliciently close tocause the fine fur to reach to said line.

In order to prevent the skin itself from entering the device, there isprovided a guard member which is more particularly shown in Fig. 3. Itcomprises essentially a plate 35 which is directly beneath roll 20having a forward edge 36 which is approximately in the same verticalplane as line 33. Teeth 31' of a comb extend forwardly from plate 35 anddirectly below roller 6. A pair of parallel side members 38 have an endmember 39 suitably pivoted in brackets 40 on the frame. Plate 35 isfirmly secured to said side members. The opposite end of said members issecured to a horizontal bar 4! which in turn is secured to a member 42of a hinge. The other member 43 extends upwardly and is provided with aslot 44. Pin 45 holds the two parts of the hinge together.

In an opening in end 3 is threaded a rod 46 which passes through slot 44and is provided with a wing nut 41. The latter provides means forclamping hinge 43 in position. When it is dv" sired to change thelocation of plate 35, due to treatment of skins having hair and fur ofvarying lengths, nut 41 is loosened, bar 4! is moved upwardly ordownwardly a suitable distance and then nut 41 is clamped in position.

In the operation of the device, a fur skin is placed on a flat surfaceand if desired clamped in position. The operator grasps handle i5 andsheath l3, placing the device upon the skin. The motor driving theflexible shaft is started, causing the roll and roller to rotate in thedirection shown by the arrows in Fig. 2. The suction is placed onopening 21, causing a current of air to pass through. As the device ismoved over the skin, the fine fur 49 and the wild hairs 50 are drawninto space 34 assisted by cover 31 in the vacuum. The hairs are caughtalong line 33 and by continued rotation of the roll and roller arepulled from the skin 48. The current of air draws such loose hairs outof the apparatus.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, the guide consists of a series ofparallel horizontal bars 5i having upstanding vertical members 52 and53'- connected respectively to end member 39 and bar 4!. On brackets 54is mounted a brush 55, the lower end 56 of which is adapted to contactwith the fur. Similarly, on brackets 51 attached to bar 4! is a brush58, the lower end 59 of which also contacts the fur to fluff it up.

The present invention has numerous and important advantages over priorprocedure. It eliminates many operations which were lengthy andincreased the cost of the plucking operation. For instance, in priorpractice it was necessary to first soak the skins over night in order tosoften the same, and then remove the water by a centrifuge. Then theskins were tumbled in a drum with sawdust to render the same flexible.After removal from the drum, the sawdust was cleaned off and the leather.was wetted with water so as to keep the pores open. Two skins wereplaced leather to leather and hung up so as to dry the hair thoroughlywithout drying the leather. Then chalk was brushed into the hair inorder to take away the slipperiness thereof. After the treatingoperation, it was necessary to tumble the skins in a cage drum to removeexcess chalk. All these processes are eliminated by the use of thedevice of the present invention. In addition, the operators of the priorart who removed the wild hairs by means of a beam knife operated undervery diflicult conditions. Chalk always filled the room and hairloosened by the operation entered into the operators clothes, nose andthroat. Such conditions were extremely unsanitary but no means ofavoiding the same had been supplied up to the present invention, whicheliminates such unsanitary working conditions.

The invention is susceptible of many modifications andchanges within theskill of the skilled gala-era artisan, all of which is contemplated bythe present invention, which. is to be? broadly construed and; not to belimited except by the claims appended hereto. By the term flathorizontal fur guide it is intended to cover a; guide which has an undersurface in a horizontal plane so as to hold a skin flat, theel'ements'ofsa'id guidehaving a substantial thickness or depth, asillustrated in Figs. 3 and 5.

I claim:

1. A fur skin treating machine comprising a frame, a gripping rollermounted in the lower part thereof, a resilient roll mounted'therein andmaking contact with said gripping roller, an 7 opening oversubstantially the entire lower end of said frame, a flat horizontal furguide having a comb placed. over the opening in said lower end adaptedto cause a fur skin to lie flat and to allow the hair to be drawnbetween said roll and roller but retaining the skin of said for on saidguide, and means for rotating said roll and roller to draw said hairtherebetween.

2. A fur skin treating machine comprising a frame, a gripping rollermounted in the lower part thereof, a. resilient roll mounted therein andmaking contact with said gripping roller, an opening over substantiallytheentire lower end of said frame, a flat horizontal fur guide having acomb placed over the opening in said lower end adapted to cause a furskin to lie flat and to allow the hair to be drawn betweenisaid roll androller but retaining the skin of said fur on said guide, handles onopposite sides of saidframe, and means for rotating said rolland rollerto draw said hair therebetween.

3. A fur skin treating machine comprising a frame, a gripping rollermounted in the lower part thereof, a resilient roll mounted therein andmaking contact with said gripping roller, an

opening over substantially the. entire lower end of said frame, a flathorizontal fur guide having a comb placed over the opening in said lowerend adapted to cause a fur skin to lie flat and to allow the hair to bedrawn between said roll and roller but retaining the skin of said fur onsaid guide, a stationary horizontal brush contacting said roll on theside opposite said roller to remove hair from said roll, and means forrotating said roll and roller to draw said hair therebetween.

4. A fur skin treating machine comprising a frame, a gripping rollermounted in the lower part thereof, a yoke pivotally mounted in saidframe and a resilient roll mounted therein and making contact with saidgripping roller, an opening over substantially the entire lower end ofsaid frame, a fiat horizontal fur guide having a comb placed over theopening in said lower end adapted to cause a fur skin to lie flat and toallow the hair to be drawn between said roll and roller but retainingthe skin of said. fur on said guide, and means for rotating said rolland roller to draw said hair therebetween.

5. A fur skin treating machine comprising a frame, a gripping rollermounted in the lower part thereof, a yoke pivotally mounted in saidframe having means for placing spring pressure thereon and a resilientroll mounted therein and making contact with said gripping roller, anopening over substantially the entire lower end of said frame, a flathorizontal fur guide having a comb placed over the opening in said lowerend adapted to cause a fur skin to lie flat and to allow the hair to bedrawn between said roll and roller but retaining the skin of said for onsaid guide,

and means for" rotating said roll and roller-todrawsa'id hairtherebetween.

6. A fur skin treating machine comprising a frame, a gripping rollermounted in the lower part thereof, said roller having a plurality oflongitudinal dull blades on the surface thereof", each bladebeingspirally positioned and-having a plurality of parallel spiralgroovestherein, a re-- sili'ent rollmounted therein and making contactwith said gripping roller, an opening over sub-- stantially the entirelower end of said frame, afl'at horizontal fur guide having a combplaced over the opening in said lower end adapted to' cause a for skinto lie flat and to allow the hair to be drawn between said roll androller but re taining theskin of said fur on said guide, and means forrotating said roll and roller to draw said hair therebetween.

'7. A fur skin treating machine comprising aframe, a gripping roller'mounted in the lower part thereof, said roller having a plurality oflongitudinal dull blades on the surface thereof, each blade beingspirally positioned and having a plurality of parallel spiral-groovestherein, said surfaces being relatively wide, a resilient roll in saidlower end adapted to cause a for skin to lie flat and to allow the hairto be drawn between said. roll" and roller but retaining the skin of said'fur' on saidguide, and'mean's for rotating said roll and roller todraw said hair therebetween.

82 A fur skin treating machine comprising a" frame, a gripping rollermounted in the lower part thereof, a resilient roll mounted therein andmaking contact with said-gripping roller, a fur guide having a combplaced over the opening in said lower end adapted to allow the hair tobe drawn between'said rolland roller but retaining the skin of said furon said guide, and means for rotating said rollpand roller to draw saidhair therebetween, said guide being pivoted on said frame at one end andbeing adjustably secured to said frame at the other end,

9. A fur skin treating machine comprising a frame, a gripping rollermounted in the lower part thereof, a resilient roll mounted therein andmaking contact with said gripping roller, a fur guide having a combplaced over the opening in said lower end adapted to allow the hair tobedrawn between said roll and roller but retaining the skin of said fur onsaid guide, and means for rotating said roll and roller to draw saidhair therebetween, said guide including a plate positioned below saidroll, the front edge of said plate being in the same vertical plane asthe meeting line of said roller and roll.

10. A fur skin treating machine comprising a frame, a gripping rollermounted in the lower part thereof, a resilient roll mounted therein andmaking contact with said gripping roller, a fur guide having a combplaced over the opening in said lower end adapted to allow the hair tobe drawn between said roll and roller but retaining the skin of said furon said guide, and means for rotating said roll and roller to draw saidhair therebetween, said guide including a plate positioned below saidroll, the front edge of said plate being in the same vertical plane asthe meeting line of said roller and roll, and a comb extending forwardlyfrom said edge below said roller.

11. A fur skin treating machine comprising a frame, a gripping rollermounted in .thelower part thereof, a resilient roll mounted therein andmaking contact with said gripping roller, a fur guide having a combplaced over the opening in said lower end adapted to allow the hair tobe drawn between said roll and roller but retaining the skin of said furon said guide, and means for rotating said roll and roller to draw saidhair therebetween, said guide including a plate positioned below saidroll, the front edge of said plate being in the same vertical plane asthe meeting line of said roller and roll, the distance between saidplate and line being less than the length of the wild hair and greaterthan the length of the fine fur of said skin.

12. A fur skin treating machine comprising a box-like closed frame openat the bottom, a flat comb-guide across said opening, a gripping rollerand a resilient roll in contact with each other journalled in the sidesof said frame, the lower edges of said roller and roll being inalinement and close to said guide, a yoke inside of said frame on whichsaid roll is mounted, said yoke being pivotally mounted between thesides of said frame and having means at the top thereof for placingadjustable spring pressure thereon, said roller having a, plurality ofrelatively wide blades, each of which has a plurality of spiralcorrugations on the surface thereof, and means for rotating said rollerand roll.

13. A fur skin treating machine comprising a box-like closed frame openat the bottom, a flat comb-guide across said opening, a gripping rollerand a resilient roll in contact with each other journalled in the sidesof said frame, the lower edges of said roller and roll being inalinement and close to said guide, a yoke inside of said frame on whichsaid roll is mounted, said yoke being pivotally mounted between thesides of said frame and having means at the top thereof for placingadjustable spring pressure thereon, said roller having a plurality ofrelatively wide blades,

8 I each of which has a plurality of spiral corrugations on the surfacethereof, an opening in the top of said frame immediately above saidroller and roll adaptedto be connected to a source of suction, and ameans for rotating said roller and roll.

14. A fur skin treating machine comprising a. box-like closed frame openat the bottom, a flat comb-guide across said opening, a gripping rollerand a resilient roll in contact with each other journalled in the sidesof said frame, the lower edges of said roller and roll being inalinement and close to said guide, a yoke inside of said frame on .whichsaid roll is mounted, said yoke being pivotally mounted between thesides of said frame and having means at the top thereof for placingadjustable spring pressure thereon, said roller having a plurality ofrelatively wide blades, each of which has a plurality of spiralcorrugations on the surface thereof, a set of horizontal brushesattached to one end of said frame, said brushes extending inwardly inhorizontal alinement with said roller and roll and contacting with saildroll, and means for rotating said roller and rol LOUIS S. EISEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 566,343 Sackett Aug. 25, 1396606,255 Taylor June 28, 1898 679,835 Donner Aug. 6, 1901 1,725,082Horstmann Aug. 20, 1929 1,893,919 Wilson Jan. 10, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTSNumber Country Date 391,249 France Aug. 24, 1908

